Lesson 1: Food processing

• Food processing is when agricultural foods are turned edible and food may include addition to flavor, nutrients etc.
• Adverse effects of Food processing: Removing plant nutrients Contribute to obesity epidemic and diabetes due to high usage of salt and sugar Heating and drying of foods can destroy vitamins and minerals
• Why process food?


  Storage stability

  Opportunities for sales and income

  Prevent microbial growth

  Make food more palatable or attractive

  Make food for special group of people

  Improve nutrition properties
• Pasteurization

  • heating liquid food to destroy micro-organisms ex. Milk straight from cow
• Blanching w/ freezing

  -cleanses surface

  -help retard loss of vitamins

  -over blanching causes loss of flavor

  -color, vitamins and minerals

  ex: okra, broccoli, spinach
• Fortification (adding nutrients)

  -Add nutrients that was not naturally present
• Refrigeration vs Freezing

  Refrigeration - Slows down microbial growth

  Freezing - Stops microbial growth
• Increase storage ability:

  refrigeration

  freezing

  dehydration

  smoking

  packaging (vacuum packaging)

  fermentation
• Make food more palatable and attractive:

  processing methods:

  Thermal processing

  curing and smoking

  Packaging

  Hydrogenation of fat

  grain milling

  Addition of:

  Flavorants

  Preservations

  Humectants
• palatable - pleasant to taste
• Create opportunities for sales and income

  -Opportunities to diversity and source income

  -Crops and animals are readily available

  -domestic untensils
• Make foods for special people

  Infant foods

  ethnic foods

  Geriatric foods (old people)

  Convenience foods (time-saver)